Motivating Staff in a Tough Economy
I am sure you have noticed that when the economy takes a turn for the worse, company morale suffers. People become nervous and wonder if their jobs are secure. Of course, you want to ensure that your staff remains committed, focused, and motivated. When workplace confidence wanes, what can you do to ensure productivity levels meet and exceed expectations?
Engage your staff: One of the best ways to ensure your staff continues to perform is to meet with them! Share ideas and don’t put up the ‘iron wall of silence’. Nobody likes to be left in the dark. If you have some information that you can share do so. The open communication will be appreciated and alleviate unfounded fears. Clandestine meetings behind closed doors send bad signals. If there are some things you cannot discuss simply say so. Your honesty will be appreciated. Reassure your staff when appropriate.
Praise good work: If your employees work hard they deserve feedback. Don’t be stingy with thanks. Encourage staff to perform and then recognize their efforts. Whether you choose to hold a group meeting to recognize hard work, send an email, or drop by for a personal chat, it is critical that your staff know that you appreciate their efforts. If there is something that warrants a bigger display of thanks, consider a company announcement in writing to all staff or recognition at a corporate event.
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Facilitate career growth and planning: One of the best things you can do for your employees no matter the economic environment is to help them plan for growth. Maintain an open mind and consider that people desire recognition through growth and development. Interact with staff to learn what their goals are. If there are rumblings in your department regarding changes, your understanding of what your employees want will allow you to present other options to them. Offer direction and guidance. Your attention and willingness to support their goals will be rewarded with commitment.
Plan a day away: A great way to build camaraderie is to plan a picnic or day away from the office for you to interact and bond as a team. It is good to learn about your staff and their outside interests. Relating to people outside of the professional environment helps to drive positive performance.
Don’t burden your staff with concerns: As the manager it is your job to lead the unit. You need to express your understanding of situations presented to you by your employees and also manage information related to what you know about the corporation’s issues. Keep your feelings to yourself. You don’t want employees to begin worrying, which will lower productivity. Maintain a professional presence at all times while communicating necessary information.
Serving as a motivating force for you and your team will yield positive results – even in tough times. Good managers go a long way in ensuring staff is empowered to persevere. Open communication is always advisable; when things seem tenuous in the workplace the ‘open door policy’ will definitely work in your favor.
This blog's author, Debra Wheatman of Careers Done Write, provides executive career services including resume and cover letter preparation, job search / interviewing strategies and professional branding including how to effectively use LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media in your career.
Visit CareersDoneWrite.com to learn more about how we can put your career in gear with interview catching resumes and professionally written career documents.